Improvement in slinging arms



`NTTED STATES PATENT EMPROVEMENT IN SLINGING ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,507., dated May 15,1866.

To all whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER EVANS 1VVOQDS, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements kin Sliuging Arms, Equipage, and Aecouterments; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear., and exactdescription of the nature, construction, and operation of the same,sufiicient to enable one skilled in the art 'to which the inventionappertains to fully understand and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which are made part ot' this specification,and in which- Figure lis a front view, illustrating the several parts ina position which they may occupy when applied to the person. Figs. 2, 3,4E, 5, and 6 are detached views explanative of the several fea-tures tobe hereinafter more particularly referred to.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thesevera-l figures.

My invention relates to the method ot' slinging the gun, bayonet,cartridge-box, and canteen, and to the appliances for adjusting theequipage carried upon the knapsack. The particulars and advantages willbe understood from the following description.

A represents the knapsack, and B the gun. The `knapsack and the strapsA' A2, by which it is applied to the person, are in themselves similarto the regulation knapsack, or that now employed in the service of theUnited States.

C is a strap, made fast at one end, by rivet ing or otherwise, to theright shoulderstrap A' of the knapsack.

D D are hooks fixed into the strap C, and each adapted to receive thesling-loop E of the musket.

F is a strap, the looped ends of which embrace the straps G G, wherebythe blanket H, sheltertent, or other equipage may be secured upon theknapsack.

When the gun is to be carried upon the shoulder in a mannerapproximating to the rightshoulder shift, or with the barrel in anobliquely-vertical position, the weight ot' the piece may be made -todevolve upon either ofthe hooks D D', according as the gun is carried ina higher or lower position, and in eitherease the barrel may be passedbetween the strap F and the blanket H, or, in the absence of the latteror other equipage, the barrel is thrust between the strap F and theknapsack itself. The object in thus supporting the gun-that is to say,by bitching the sling-loop E upon one ot' the hooks D D' and retainingthe barrel beneath the straps F-is twofold: First, the weight of thepartially counterpoise the knapsack and that which may be securedthereto; second, the soldier-s hands are made free, as the gun will needno attention when thus supported. If preferred, the gun may be carriedwithout using the hands and without passing the barrel under strap F bysimply hooking" the sling-loop upon one of the hooks DD', and when thegun is sustained by the lower hook, D', its position may be reversedthatis, it may be carried after the manner of secure arms.7 The hooks ma)Tbe hitched to any convenient part of the mountings instead of to thesling-loop E. The strap F is attached in the manner shown by means ot'its looped ends, in order that it may be shifted to suit therequirements of' each particular circumstance.

I I represent blind buckles or loops attached at about the juncture ofthe front and top'of the knapsack. The straps G, which secure theblanketH upon the knapsack, pass through the buckles I I, and maythereby be made to retain the blanket or other equipage in a forwardposition close to the neck. This feature of the invention is deemedimportant, for the weight ot' the equi page upon the knapsack, beingkept forward of the center of the knapsack,- causes the weight todevolve more strictly upon the shoulders, and give a steadiness andcompactness which are conducive tothe comfort ot the soldier, whereas bythe ordinary arrangement, when the only point ofattachment of theblanket-straps is at the center' of the knapsack the latter, under thevarious mot-ions ofthe body, is liable to sway back and forth, thussubjecting the soldier to constant jerking and thumping actions, whichsoon pr0- duce exhaustion and impair the health.

J represents the canteen, the strap J' of which is provided with a hook,J 2, by which it may be suspended from either of the rings K Kl K2 K3,or to various partsl of the knapsack. The canteen and its appurtenancesare shown detached in Fig. 5.

L (see Fig. 4) represents the haversack, which has the ordinary strapL', in order that it may be carried independently or detached gun ismade to Wholly or from the other equipage. To adapt it to be slung tothe'equipage it is provided with a hook, L2, and buckle L3, the hook L2being attached to the ring K3 on the under side of the knapsack, and thebuckle L3 being buckled to the strap M, which may be secured to the1eft-ha11d strap A2 of the knapsack.

N N represent pendent straps attached to the shoulder-straps of thek1iapsack,and commonly known as the \vaist-straps.7 Under the ordinarymethod of suspending the cartridgebox the shoulder-belt of the latterextends across the breast and obstructs the action of the lungs. Idispense With the use of this shoulder-belt and sustain thecartridge-box l? -by means ot' the Waist-strap N, which is perforated toadmit of the insertion ot' the prong o of the hook O, as seen in Fig. l.The hook- O is riveted or otherwise fastened to the top of thecartridge-box, and the waist-belt passes through the back loops of thecartridge-box in customary manner. The advantage of this method ofslinging the cartridge-box is that the breast is left entirely free oropen and the action of the chest is not restrained by the pressure of astrap.

In Fig. 2 is represented my method of holding open the main flap l? ofthe cartridgebox to facilitate the manipulation of the eartridges duringaction. The strap p, which fastens the flap P to a stud or button at theunder side ot' the cartridge-box, may be hooked to either of the hooks DD on the gun-strap G, so as to hold open the iiap 1?', as seen in Fig.2, and thus permit ready access to the cartridges.

Under the ordinary method the weightof the bayonet R devolves directlyupon the Waist-belt Q, so that the Waist-belt mustbe kept constantlybuckled around the waist, in order to support the bayonet in aconvenient position. I attach to the bayonet-loop R a hook, R2, wherebyitmay be attached to the Waist-strap N', as shown in Fig. 1. Hence it',on a route step,or arms at will7 the Waistbelt be unbuckled at the frontto aft'ord relief to the stomach, the bayonet, as before, is sustainedin the desired position by the Waiststrap N'.

It' desired, the cartridge-box, as well as the bayonet, may be shiftedto and sustained by the ring K2 at the rear of the kn apsack, which isdone when a portion ot' the Weight is required to be transferred to therear to effect the more perfect equipoise of the burden.

S may represent a strap held under the loop S on the left shoulder-strapot' the knapsack,

and employed to secure any additional equipage that may be carried atthe front.

The cap-box T has a strap, T', which fastens over the button T2 on theyWaist-belt, and is thus supported when the waist-belt is unbuckled.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. Slinging the gun by means of the strap C and one or more hooks, D1)', substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A hook, O, attached to the cartridge-box P, to adapt the latter to beattached to and lsupported by any part of the equipage.

3. The method of holding open the iiap of the cartridge-box.

4. Providing the bayonet With a hook, R2, to enable it to be slung tothe equipage, as and for the p'urpose specified.

5. Slinging the cartridge-box behind to the knapsack in any manner,substantially as described.

G. The blind buckles I I, or their equivalents, attached to the front ofthe knapsack, to enable the blanket or other equipage to be retained bythe coat-straps G G in a position rorward of the center ot' theknapsack, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

7. The ring` K2, attached to the under sideof the knapsack, to supportthe accouterments when shifted to the rear.

To the above specification of my improvements in slinging arms,equipagc, and accouterments, I have signed my hand this lst day ofMarch, 1866.

OLIVER EVANS WOODS.

Witnesses:

G. D. SMHH, C. A. PETTIT.

